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Break in procedure

4K views 17 replies 9 participants last post by  14WRX 
#1 ·
I wanted to get your guys opinion on the break in procedure and my situation. When my car comes in I am trying to decide whether to drive it back or have it shipped. It's only 250.00 to have it shipped or I could drive it around 4 and half hours.

I know your not supposed to stay at one RPM for a long period of time so I didn't know if it would hurt anything with all the highway driving I would be doing on the way home.

One reason I would want to drive it back is that I may have a deal with another new owner who wants trade his SPT for my stock exhaust plus cash. He lives about 45 minutes from the dealership so I figured I could pick up the car meet up with him and do the exhaust swap.

If the deal doesn't work out I think my best option would be just to have it shipped. Another consideration is what the weather will be like if it does arrive in December. I know I could just put the winter wheels/tires on too.

Thanks for any input!
 
#3 ·
Maybe I'm completely mistaken, but I've been under the impression that the "break in" for new cars wasn't necessary, that they came already broken in from the factory.

I've worked at two dealerships, for two different brands. And both those makes had no break in period for the motor, only that after 4000 miles you would see (or should), improved gas mileage.
 
#4 ·
That is what they say. But trust isn't something I hand out for free idk about you haha. That's why I also changed my oil out at 1k before modding/tuning even though that's not "needed" either. Better safe than sorry...

And like I said there's no technical break in specifications but not redlining a motor for a bit if brand new just makes sense IMO. Whether broken in before you receiving it or not.

Learn the feel of the acceleration in general, spool of the turbo, and feel for the clutch before hitting the "racecar" button lol!


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#9 ·
Actually changing trans fluid is not a necessity but there is no harm in upgrading it. As well the factory does not 'break-in' an engine they simply put in on a in-house dyno and make sure everything is 'seated' and there are no leaks and all the electronics are working.

With that being said I would drive cautiously, as mentioned previously, for the first 1K miles and then change/upgrade your engines oil and filter.
 
#10 ·
I'd say the drive back would be a perfect 'break-in' period for that fabulous motor in that fine auto. Like the guys say above, break-in is not as much of an issue with new cars.

Don't pin it for the first 1k, but otherwise Enjoy!
 
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#11 ·
Drive it like you would normally besides red lining it. Expose it different gears, speeds, and hot/cold cycles. It'll make sure the piston rings are not loose from wuss footing it. Just don't beat it like a madman like Brandon said.
 
#12 ·
I drove my car normally (without redlining it) for the first 1k miles. I also switched to synthetic 5W-30 oil at 1k and changed it every 3k. My stock engine lasted until about 97k being Stage 2 most of its life and took a good bit of abuse on the street (never tracked). I'm sure it would have lasted a good bit longer if I hadn't slapped a 20G turbo on it at 94k, but you know... :rolleyes:

Keep up on maintenance, drive it like it was intended to be driven, modify it reasonably to around Stage 2-ish levels, and you should expect at least 100k out of it, often much more.
 
#13 ·
Drive it like you stole it. That's how I've always done mine. Now back in the day or if you are building a new motor from scratch then there is a break in procedure, but even then with advancements in technology it's not like it use to be.
 
#15 ·
Here is a link that I might have copied off of a post on this site over 5 years ago. I cannot speak to "breaking in" an engine, as I have always bought used cars. The advice from this source seems to agree with Keith's recommendation. I thought it had some good explanations, but whether you agree with it or not is up to you.

Break In Secrets--How To Break In New Motorcycle and Car Engines For More Power
 
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